Who Am I?
by redlaura66
Summary: 'Imagine if you suddenly woke up and your whole life had been a dream, and you're actually a completely different person living a different life in a different world' - SuperWhoLock; Harry Potter; Teen Wolf; Avengers crossover
1. Prologue

'_Imagine if you suddenly woke up and your whole life had been a dream, and you're actually a completely different person living a different life in a different world'_

The thought had brought comfort to most, as they desperately wished for the statement to be true, but they dismissed it. For if they had had another life, they surely would've remembered it. With the majority of the population, the statement never would be true. But for those lucky four exceptions, the statement applied perfectly to them. They did live elsewhere, in a different world, with their real friends and family. Yet here they were, in another world, living normal teenage lives, dismissing the statement like the rest of the world.

The four had been snatched from their world by a person with an evil intention. A simple experiment, and she'd taken away the one person from each of their loved one's lives that had mattered the most to them. As they were snatched, their memories were wiped, or so the person thought. However, a trigger occasionally made them remember. They remembered snippets, and thought they were going insane. Particularly if they were memories where they hadn't appeared in the actual TV show or film or book series.

How ironic they'd end up as best friends in the alternate world, each having a soft spot for a particular TV show, film or book series. Regardless, they'd began in separate parts of the world, living their usual lives, with their respective friends and family.


	2. Chapter One

_Potterheads wake up from their nap in front of their common room's fireplace with a half-finished potions essay in front of them._

Groaning, Dani remembered her potions essay she had to get done for Professor Snape as she ate breakfast on Sunday morning, with her mind elsewhere. Evidently, Neville appeared to notice as he gently waved a hand in front of her face.

"Dani?" asked Neville cautiously.

"Hm?" Dani snapped out of her reverie, the last chunk of toast disappearing into her mouth.

"I said, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Look, I gotta run. I forgot to do Snape's essay."

"At least he doesn't despise you," muttered Neville. Dani smiled sympathetically at him.

"Harry gets it way worse."

Then, without waiting for a response, she swiftly left the Great Hall. It was typical she'd forget such a trivial piece of homework that was due, especially with the one professor who hated Gryffindors beyond anything else. Silently cursing to herself, Dani practically raced back to Gryffindor common room, barely giving anyone a second glance. At first, she didn't even realise she was being followed.

It wasn't until she was safely on the second floor that she heard the echoing footsteps behind her. Her heart rate picked up as she spun on her heel, faced with a seventh year boy, if she had to guess. He belonged to Slytherin, with his green and silver tie proudly worn around his neck. Dani grabbed her wand inside the pocket of her robes, feeling her cautious nature kick in.

"I have something you could try," spoke the boy, not bothering to greet her.

"I doubt it," replied Dani coldly back.

The boy revealed a vial with a clear liquid inside, smirking as he did so. "Oh? Then what's this?" The boy waited for a response, but he didn't get one. "I tried it, so it's perfectly safe."

Dani snorted. "Sure!"

"Others have too. It's an instant cure for a difficult night's sleep."

"And what makes you think I'm having a difficult night's sleep?"

The boy smirked once more, sliding a hand into his trouser pocket. "The bags under your eyes? It's noticeable. But this potion, it'll clear it right up!"

Dani frowned. "How much?"

"I'm giving the first bottle for free. After that, it'll be 4 Sickles."

"4?! 3 Sickles or nothing," compromised Dani.

The boy pondered this for a moment before agreeing and handing the vial over. Dani skipped back to her common room, not noticing the smug smile the boy had on his face. She sat down, dumping out her potions textbook and parchment with her ink, placing the vial carefully in her pocket.

"Hello Dani. What are you doing?" asked Hermione.

"The potions essay for Snape," answered Dani, preparing herself for the tedious task ahead.

"I've already finished it. I can help you if you want?"

"Maybe later. I want to have a go first."

"As I said, good luck. I'm leaving before Ron returns," said Hermione, becoming bitter at the mention of Ron's name.

Dani looked at the supplies in front of her and decided she'd better get started, because otherwise she never would. She lightly picked up the quill and dipped it into the ink pot, writing her first sentence. It was at least a start.

It was as she got halfway through that she began to wish she hadn't rejected Hermione's help. She had raked her hand through her hair several times over, feeling her mind going blank from overthinking. She stopped noticing who left and who entered, she was far too focussed. It was by mistake that she found the vial again. She gently tossed it around in her pocket before taking it out.

Dani carefully examined the vial, looking carefully at the clear liquid. She debated whether a little sleep would do her any harm. She bit her lip, shaking the liquid, as if that would help her decide any easier. There wasn't much in the vial, but she knew better than to question what quantity there was. Potions proved that more often than not.

As she uncorked the stopper, a millions questions ran through her mind. She wasn't sure how much she was meant to have or how long she would be asleep for. But she didn't care. Her recklessness struck as she downed the liquid. It took instant effect, as her eyes began to close and she decided to lay on her arms with them folded on the table. It felt good to actually be able to sleep properly for the first time in ages.

However, she got more than she bargained for…

* * *

_Teen Wolf fans wake up on the couch of Derek's loft after falling asleep during one of his pack meetings._

"Do we have a meeting?" Taylor asked Scott as they walked the school hallways together.

"Yeah."

The bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. "Tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks."

Scott barely said a word back, running off. Watching from a distance, she smiled as she noticed him going to Stiles. Taylor couldn't complain. She was happy enough, wandering back home to get a bit of homework done before the meeting that evening. She thought about grabbing a lift from a friend, but decided to take a leisurely stroll. After all, it wasn't everyday she could relax from walking home.

Taylor felt the sun shine down on the crisp autumn day, grateful for the seemingly nice day. The wind whipped her hair around but she ignored it, relishing in the cold. Her entire body felt alive from the windy day. She couldn't wait until a few days' time when she'd be in her werewolf form once more. It always made her feel alive, more so than her average human body.

Taylor took a diversion from her usual route home, purposefully procrastinating. She hated doing homework, but she knew she had to do it. She didn't want to fail all her classes, which was why studying with Lydia helped. Besides, whilst the town seemed as familiar to her as breathing, she still had things to learn about it. Having only lived there for a couple of months now, and already establishing a secure friendship with Lydia, she was content with her current life.

Beacon Hills was certainly different to what she'd been expecting, but now that she lived here, she couldn't remember what she'd expected. Coming from a small village, this wasn't much different, except it was bigger. There was actually a high school with several hundred people in it, rather than a hundred students. It had all seemed so exciting. A fresh start. She had started to know more of the streets, and more people.

Her dad was a local man, proud of his local job as one of the police. He worked with Stiles' dad, so the pair had ran into each other often enough. In fact, he'd become one of her closest friends, despite how little time she'd been there.

She decided to walk down a vaguely familiar street, barely registering anyone else around. It appeared to be like a creepy street, her behaviour automatically turning to cautious mode. Her werewolf senses heightened, hearing some footsteps coming from behind her.

"Hello," greeted the man, smiling at Taylor.

Taylor wanted to act defensive, but she decided against it. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"Just a stranger. So I hear there's this cure…for your…problem."

Taylor snorted. "As if."

The man looked puzzled. "But…why wouldn't you try?"

"Because I've looked everywhere. There is no solution!"

"You're wrong. It's a rare solution, that nobody but a rare few know about. I could give it to you, for the bargain price of $5." He pulled out the small vial, it glinting in the sunlight.

"$5?! For that?!"

"It doesn't come cheap for a reason."

"It's a rip off!"

"$2.50?"

Taylor pondered the vial. The very thought should've seemed ridiculous to her, but she couldn't prevent her curiosity from handing him the money in exchange the vial. "It works?"

"Yes."

Biting her lip, she debated on drinking it. "How many people have had this?"

"A few."

"How many?"

"Probably about five. All have been cured."

She gave the man one last sceptical look before shrugging. She unstuck the popper and downed the liquid, wondering if it was supposed to do anything. She noticed the man observing her in interest, before she felt her eyes begin to close. She realised what had happened and started to protest but she felt her body paralyse before she could.

"Night night," said the man as he left.

Taylor fell to the ground, her eyes closing and her brain shutting down. She felt herself falling into a deep slumber. She desperately tried to fight it, but she couldn't. The effects were far faster than she'd expected. With nobody around, she was certain something terrible was going to happen to her. Little did Taylor know that her fate was about to become a lot worse.

* * *

_Avenger's fans wake up to another day fighting crime and protecting the city with the avengers._

Sam sighed as she plopped down into the only available chair with a brewing mug of coffee in her hands. She felt herself warm up instantly as she glanced out of her apartment window, down to the street below. It all seemed so…mundane. Peaceful, yes. But annoyingly so.

Her apartment buzzer jolted her out of her reverie, nearly spilling coffee on herself. She silently cursed, placing her mug back on the table. She instinctively grabbed her trusty gun, holding it behind her back as she walked over to the intercom.

"Who is it?" she asked as she held down the button after it buzzed again.

He appeared to be a total stranger, but his work uniform suggested something else. A plumber maybe? "I'm the electrician. I was called in to check a faulty light bulb?"

The man appeared sincere, and she had called for an electrician. She just hadn't expected them to come so quickly. She kept the gun in the back of her pants, just for safe keeping. She buzzed the man in and waited by the door for him to knock on the door. The instant he knocked, she opened the door and cautiously allowed him entry.

He smiled at her. "Where is your meter?" he asked.

Sam led him over, whilst still keeping a cautious eye on him. Truth be told, she rarely ever trusted anyone, particularly an electrician who seemed to come to her rescue far quicker than any electrician she'd had in the past. He could just be efficient, but she somehow doubted it. As he checked the meter, he decided to make light conversation, but Sam wasn't in the mood for a conversation.

"Nice day, ain't it?"

"Mm."

"I haven't seen such nice sunshine in a long time. Don't you agree?"

"Mm hm."

The man quickly realised Sam didn't want to chat, and that made it easier for him. He innocently checked the meter, with an observant Sam breathing down his neck.

"Done. It'd seem your meter is fine."

The man moved away, leaving Sam to eye him suspiciously. He smiled innocently at her. She fake smiled back. He gestured for her to go ahead, but she shook her head.

"I insist," said Sam.

The man did as he was told, clutching the vial in his pocket. He entered the main room and put it down on the countertop before looking ready to leave. Sam noticed the vial and, in a moment of weakness, grabbed the vial, ready to give it back, only to feel a gun pressed against her back. She internally cursed, thinking how to get out of the situation.

"Drink the vial and I'll be on my way," stated the man.

She snorted. "Like I'd be that stupid."

In a flash, she disarmed the man, but he was faster than she expected. A small fight ensued but this man seemed to move at a faster pace than the fastest fighter in the world. She put up a decent fight, but it didn't make much of a difference. He pounced on her, knocking her down and pinning her to the floor. He sat on her stomach, with her arms underneath his legs, and her legs of no use. She squirmed beneath him, but there wasn't much else she could do. She had fought as best as she could, but it wasn't good enough.

"Now, drink," commanded the man, panting slightly.

Sam glared at him, shaking her head. If she opened her mouth, she knew he'd force her to drink it. He sighed as he hovered above her, his free hand holding the vial. She thought maybe he had given up, so she searched her room with her eyes, to find something to disarm him with, or to find a way out of the situation. However, she wasn't so lucky.

Without warning, he used one hand to roughly grab the back of her head and yank it forward, whilst using the other hand to tilt the vial into her mouth. By accident, Sam had opened her mouth in pain from him yanking her hair, which led to her demise. She kept it in her mouth, ready to spit it out but he put his hand over her mouth, ensuring it stayed clamped shut.

"Swallow."

She shook her head, but she knew she wouldn't last long. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, but was actually only a few seconds. In those few seconds, she could feel her body start to lose consciousness and she realised she really needed to breathe. She squirmed desperately to free her arms but it was no use. With no other alternative, she swallowed it down, much to the man's delight, who grinned down at her with a malicious delight.

"Have fun."

The man got off her and left, while Sam remained on the floor, confused as to what he meant. It took a few seconds before the effects kicked in, which only further confused her. A sleeping potion? How would that be fun?

It was only as her brain turned fuzzy that she realised this wasn't just a sleeping potion, but there was something more sinister within it. She attempted to sit up to call S.H.I.E.L.D. but her body was too weak to lift her head. She felt her eyes close slowly, whilst simultaneously trying desperately to fight off the effects. After all her training, nothing could've prepared her for this, something which both annoyed and scared her.

* * *

_Whovians are woken up jolted from the captain's seat while the TARDIS spins out of control and the Doctor flipping over the TARDIS controls. Supernatural fans wake up in the bunker. Dean and Sam just got news about a hunt and are about to call Cas for assistance. Sherlock fans wake up on the couch at 221B Baker Street to Sherlock saying "obviously" and John cooking breakfast._

Alex sighed as she entered the police department, deciding to visit her mum. It was her day off after all, and she'd been bored remaining at home. She needed a release, an energy fix, but nothing had satisfied her yet.

As soon as she entered, she noticed everyone glance up at her before going back to work. Her presence was frequent enough that nobody bothered to question her. She carried her usual cup of Starbucks coffee and a box of doughnuts, because she figured the staff would appreciate it. On the way to her mum's cubicle, she placed the doughnuts in their kitchen space before skipping over to her mum.

"Alex," exclaimed her mum wearily. "What are you doing here?"

"I was bored."

Her mum rolled her eyes. "Well I'm exceptionally busy. Why don't you go and visit Sherlock? Sherlock could certainly use your…expertise."

"You know, you're probably the only person, asides from Lestrade, who would encourage me to hang around with Sherlock Holmes. And I know what you really mean."

Rather than argue, her mum gestured for her to disappear. Sighing, she trudged back to the cold British day, expecting the usual rain but not receiving any. She shoved her hands in her pockets, wondering whether it was worth visiting Sherlock or not. He'd become a lonely, miserable person lately, thriving on action, much like her.

Alex pulled out her phone, biting her lip gently. Maybe it was time she returned back to America, and gave the Winchester's a friendly visit. After all, they were practically family, and she hadn't seen them since her dad had died at the hands of a supernatural being. Sure, she'd fled the country and then go on adventures with a man in a blue box, but it hadn't beat being a hunter. Her mum had split up with her dad a long time ago, so no-one would be searching for her. She'd escaped the hunter lifestyle, a rarity.

She stuffed her phone away, deciding not to bother them. They had issues to deal with themselves. She could go away with the Doctor again, but she figured he'd be busy too. He probably had a new companion, who he was taking to different universes and planets in different points of history. Alex smiled fondly at the memories, slurping once more on her coffee before allowing her feet to lead her somewhere.

As she wandered, she noticed a man a little distance away. Her instincts told her to be cautious. He certainly wasn't like anyone she'd trust. She delved her free hand into her pocket, clutching her hand tightly around her gun, whilst appearing composed and casual. If it was one trick her dad had taught her, it was how to remain in a compromising situation. The Winchester's had taught her a trick or two too, but she'd never compare to them, if the rumours were to be believed. To believe they'd caused and ended the apocalypse seemed completely unrealistic, but she wouldn't put it past the boys to do such a thing.

Regardless of how reckless it was, she edged closer to the man, internally debating whether he'd kill her or not. Alex certainly knew how to kill a person without a single hesitation, she just preferred not to.

"Hey," greeted Alex casually.

"Hello," greeted back the man just as casually, as if they were acquaintances rather than strangers.

"Why are you just standing here?"

"I'm waiting for someone." Silence ensured, but not for long. "I don't suppose you'd want this would you?"

The man held out a vial, which struck Alex as peculiar but intriguing. "What's inside it?"

The man shrugged. "I just got told to look after it."

"So you don't know?"

"No. But at a guess, either water or vodka."

"Vodka seems more plausible. But I'd better taste it, just to be sure."

The man nodded, handing over the vial. Alex inspected it before she did anything else. She didn't notice the man slink away with a devilish smile settled across his face. After inspecting it, she yanked off the stopper and sniffed. Weirdly, it didn't smell of anything. Curious, she tilted her head back, downing the liquid.

Instantly, she began to regret it, realising this wasn't either water or vodka. Her body began to shut down, her brain telling her to move. She wanted to obey her brain, but she couldn't convince her legs to move. It was lucky she was near the entrance to the alleyway, deciding to text Sherlock where she was so he could rescue her. She doubted he would, but she hoped he might.

Alex's body fought to remain as alert as possible, but it was a fast losing battle. Her brain was telling her to just sit down and close her eyes. Unable to stand up any longer, and seeing the appeal in resting her head against the wall, she sat down and closed her eyes, hoping the throbbing would stop soon.

The very instant she closed her eyes, the potion took effect. The man cautiously walked over before grinning, his hands shoved in his pockets. Four victims down, each beginning their adventure into a new world.


	3. Chapter Two

**BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.**

Dani slammed her hand down on her alarm clock, wondering what evil spirit would decide school should start at 8:30am. Groaning, she dared to open her eyes to see the red numbers glaring at her, reading 7am. She flopped her head back into her pillow, deciding to groan into it. _Two groans, a good start to the morning_, she thought. If her mum hadn't decided to move cities last year, perhaps starting a new school wouldn't seem so daunting. Perhaps she could've just blended in like usual, with no friends and reading books until her heart's content.

"Danielle! You don't want to be late on your first day!" yelled up her mum, sounding slightly worried.

"Yes I do," mumbled Dani, wondering how on Earth she'd ever make friends.

With her alarm clock beeping again, Dani gave up trying to get more sleep, deciding she had to get up and get ready for school. She growled as she shoved a hand through her hair, wishing she didn't have curly hair. Dull brown with equally dull brown eyes, so she thought. To everyone, she appeared ordinary, something Dani resented about herself.

She walked over to her wardrobe and pulled out her school uniform with little care. She scowled at it, as if it had done something wrong. Reluctantly, she got dressed and tied her bushy curls back, deciding it wasn't worth breaking another hairbrush from her knots. Once she'd done that, she grabbed her school bag, with nothing in it yet asides from her pencil case, and pulled her bedroom door open to stomp downstairs into the kitchen.

"Good morning," chirped Dani's mum.

"Good morning," mumbled Dani back, feeling it was far from the truth. She plopped down into a dining room chair, dumping her practically empty school bag beside her right foot. Her mum placed a plate of toast in front of her, with a glass of milk. If it had been any other day, she would've eaten the meal without a second thought. But today, she glared at it as nothing would satisfy her today.

"Eat up," her mum softly commanded.

Dani rolled her eyes, before eating her breakfast. She'd need her energy today. Not because she was optimistic about making friends, but because her brain would need to work hard if she wanted to pass her GCSE's. After all, they were important in regards to what she'd do in her future.

The second she'd finished eating, she slung her bag onto her shoulders, put on her combat boots and threw on her light jacket before she left, saying goodbye to her mum beforehand. The September air gently washed over her face, something Dani loved about England.

The walk to school was always the part of the day Dani enjoyed most, since it provided a refreshing stroll through nature. She didn't care if it rained, nature still had a certain beauty about it which could never be replaced. Whatever the weather, she could still see the beauty around her. Most were baffled when she willingly walked out in the downpours with no umbrella or hood up. She always shrugged when they made such comments, not caring if she got soaking wet. To her, it didn't make that much of a difference.

She strolled to school, ensuring she walked as slowly as she could bear, procrastinating by constantly changing songs. After all, she didn't want to be early, for she had no idea what the school was like. Her mission for the day was to locate the library, nothing else. Bopping her head along to the music, she barely registered the other students surrounding her, just blank faces to her.

The walk to the school was around 15 minutes away for her. So no matter how slow she'd attempted to walk, it was useless for her to hope she'd arrive just on time. She realised she'd be early and for once, she resented that fact. With no friends to look forward to, and no idea what this school was like, she was mentally preparing herself for the worst. Despite that, she still felt slightly confident. She had a chance here for a fresh start, so why not start confident?

The school gates drew into her view, and she almost considered running. But it wasn't in Dani's blood to back away from a challenge, which school certainly had been. Alone or not, she'd certainly never let her fears overtake her. She was a brave person. Yet she'd never had the opportunity to prove it. No scenario had occurred where she'd had to use it. Everyone thought she was a weak loser who nobody cared enough about. It wasn't the impression she wanted at this school, but she'd reluctantly accept it if it happened again.

Dani stepped through the school gates and analysed her surroundings as she continued to walk. She walked until she stumbled upon the reception sign. Sighing in relief, she wandered over, cautiously avoiding students as she did so. She entered and walked up to the main reception desk, looking at the receptionist.

"Um…hello. I'm new here?" said Dani, not meaning to sound as nervous as she did.

"Ah yes. Here is your timetable. A student will be along shortly to show you around," answered the receptionist, gesturing for Dani to sit down, before she returned to her desktop computer.

Dani nodded before glancing over at the blue armchair, far from appealing or comfortable. Still, she would rather sit down than stand. The nerves had overcome her, probably at the thought of a total stranger showing her around. The thought appeared daunting, but with a few deep breaths, she felt more relaxed about the entire thing.

It was just as the bell went that the student arrived. She didn't need to ask the receptionist as she spotted Dani straight away, marching over. With her thick mascara, a thin coat of eyeliner and a scowl in place, Dani cowered back slightly into the chair. She had beautiful brown skin with juxtaposing crystal blue eyes and black straight hair, with a side fringe. Something about her look made her appear extraordinary, like you just physically couldn't ignore this girl. If she entered a room, you'd look. Not necessarily because you wanted to, but because there was something striking about her.

Despite the required school uniform, the girl had somehow made it look effortlessly her own. She wore a leather jacket over the top of her tight fitting jumper and an untucked white shirt. Her top two buttons were undone and her small tie was loosely wrapped around her neck. Her trousers had a few tears here and there, but they seemed to be the most intact part of her outfit. To complete her look, she wore Doc Martins, which added to the intimidating look she wanted to emit.

"You're the new student?" demanded the student. Dani nodded, unable to speak. "I'm Taylor. I will be your guide. It's your decision if you want to stay with me from then on or not. As a warning, nobody ever picks up on the offer."

"Right," said Dani, feeling her nerves subside momentarily. Dani rose from her seat, waiting for Taylor to lead her around.

Taylor gave Dani the once over, instantly thinking she'd be one of those preppy girly girls, the type she couldn't stand. With her skirt reaching the required length, her shirt properly tucked in beneath her jumper and her tie done up properly, she was surprised the girl wore combat boots. It didn't fit with what her outfit portrayed. Even her black tights looked flawless.

Her skin tone was an ordinary cream colour, with just as ordinary eyes, but the eyeliner caused her eyes to pop and her curly brown hair, with a side fringe, seemed to rebel against her perfect uniform. Asides from eyeliner, she wore little to no make-up, as far as Taylor could tell. Parts of her screamed one stereotype, whilst the other parts screamed another stereotype. It confused Taylor, but she liked that. Someone she could easily define had never usually been worth her time, unless they did it to appear ironic.

"Come on," instructed Taylor as she turned on her heel, beginning to exit the familiar room.

"Taylor, fix your uniform," ordered the receptionist. Taylor scoffed. "Someone will put you in detention."

"Let them. It won't stop me from doing this," retorted Taylor.

"You're getting extremely close to being suspended."

"Yet they don't."

"That doesn't mean they won't."

Taylor didn't bother to respond, leaving the room with an awestruck Dani following behind her. Taylor opened the door for herself, leaving it to swing closed on Dani. Dani had to open it for herself, glaring at Taylor's retreating form. _Its little wonder she has no friends_, she thought as she followed.

"Where are you going to show me?" asked Dani curiously.

"Wherever your lessons are. That's all we'll have time for. Unless you don't mind getting me into trouble on the first day," replied Taylor, half hoping she would.

"With you so close to suspension, I wouldn't dare."

"So if I wasn't, would you get me into trouble?"

Dani shrugged. "Depends how good a tour guide you are."

Taylor half smiled. "I'm liking you more and more." Dani looked surprised. "You've got guts." Dani attempted to say something in return, but all words failed her. Ignoring her reaction, Taylor spotted the piece of paper in Dani's hand and gently took it from her. She unfolded the page and glanced at it, debating where to go first. "Hm… I think we should start in the furthest away place."

"Why not the nearest place?"

"Because the nearest place is where our first lesson is."

"Our?"

"We have lessons together. It was bound to happen. You're on the same side of the year as me, which means you're stuck with me."

"Ah, I see. Damn! Just when I thought I could get rid of you," teased Dani.

Taylor tried not to smile, but she couldn't help herself. "Be grateful I'm smiling. I'd usually growl at anyone else."

"I'm honoured."

"It won't last."

"We'll see."

Her optimism should've annoyed Taylor, but it didn't. She couldn't place why she liked Dani. She just did. For once, she decided to be polite and so she held the door open for Dani, who politely thanked her in response, stepping into the crisp day once more. Before her, she saw separate buildings all around her, looking dismal and very school-like.

"So where are you taking me first?" asked Dani after they had taken approximately five steps.

"It's a surprise." Dani was silent. Usually, Taylor preferred the silence to the mindless conversations she held with most people, but Dani intrigued her. "So where are you from?"

"London."

"In case you didn't notice, London is kinda a big place. Where in London?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Just trying to make conversation."

"You don't seem the type to like making conversations."

"You shouldn't make judgements about other people."

Dani snorted. "As if you didn't make a judgement on me straight away."

Taylor couldn't deny it, so she instead returned to her previous unanswered question. "So where?"

Unfortunately, Dani refused to let her point slide. "Ha! I'm right. Ooh, are we here?"

"Trust me, there is nothing exciting about the geography block."

"There is something exciting about everything if you look hard enough," retorted Dani.

Taylor looked at her quizzically as they entered. Dani walked down the hallway, glancing into the classrooms as briefly as she could. Taylor trailed behind, her hands shoved into her pockets as she watched Dani.

"We're not going upstairs," said Taylor after a few seconds.

"Fine by me. I just wanted a first impression."

She reached the end of the hallway, peering out the door, before spinning on her heel and heading back down to Taylor. Taylor rolled her eyes as Dani joined her side, before the pair left once again. As they left, a late student entered, panting slightly, as if they'd been running to make it on time. Taylor scoffed afterwards, finding it stupid that people cared that much about school, whilst Dani shook her head at their lateness.

The pair wandered around the school, taking Dani to all the blocks she'd need to go to. Each building looked as flimsy as the last, as if a hurricane could easily demolish the school if it tried. Dani noticed the crumbling walls, the cracked floors and the broken lights, wondering how anyone could possibly concentrate when they went to a school as dismal as this. It was in desperate need of repairs. Despite that, Dani still liked it. It gave the place character and history, which she much preferred over a brand new building. The nicest blocks in school were the science and media blocks, which obviously had to be new since they had expensive equipment held within it. The block with the most amount of character was the history block, telling many stories of its own, with etched in words all over the place.

As they wandered around, Dani asked plenty of questions about the school and Taylor had responded with stories about a particular incident that had happened. It seemed to Dani that Taylor had been at the centre of most of the more recent incidents. No wonder she was so close to being suspended, let alone expelled. They'd also seen more students arriving late into school. It hardly phased Taylor, but it caused Dani to shake her head in disapproval.

"Well… that concludes our tour," said Taylor as they reached the reception again.

"I give you a ten," replied Dani. Taylor laughed slightly.

"Thank you." A moment of silence ensured before the bell rang, signalling the beginning of the school day.

"Our first lesson of the day is… English," said Dani, as she read off her timetable.

"You go on ahead. I like to be late."

"Tough." Without warning, Dani looped arms with Taylor and began to walk.

Taylor was too bewildered to realise what was going on straight away. As soon as she did, she instantly dropped her arm from Dani's grip and stalked in the opposite direction from the classroom. Dani was left standing in the hallway, confused. It didn't last long, as students barged into her. Snapping out of her reverie, she glanced down at her timetable and realised she was up the sturdy staircase. Sighing, she clambered up, slightly hurt by Taylor's reaction.

Once upstairs, she ignored all the other students hustling and bustling past as she looked around, trying to find her classroom. After a few seconds of searching, she found it and nervously walked over. She didn't want to enter, but the initial fear was always over exaggerated anyway. With that thought in mind, it made it easier to enter.

The first thing which she knew would happen was everyone's eyes fell onto her. Dani barely noticed it though as she went over to her friendly appearing English teacher, who smiled at her. "Hello. You must be the new student," she greeted. "I'm Miss Pepper." The name fit her perfectly, as it matched her ginger hair.

"I'm Dani," greeted back Dani.

"Find a seat Dani."

Dani did as she was instructed. Some tables had already been occupied, the gossip heard all around her as she walked. She chose a seat towards the back by the right wall, where she could look out the window. She smiled at the people in front of her as they turned to look at her before sitting down. A slightly awkward but polite smile. She could instantly sense their muttered conversation was about her once they'd turned around again.

Rather than let their gossip annoy her, she glanced around at her fellow classmates, wondering if anyone would sit next to her. She seriously doubted anyone would, as they all chose their friends to sit beside. Nobody wanted to bother with the new girl.

Dani noticed someone heading in her direction and watched him as he walked past her, a cocky smirk on his face. Dani bit her lip, deciding she didn't want to know. He seemed like trouble. As she began to get out her pencil case and await a new exercise book, she felt someone prod her roughly on the back. She instantly spun around, seeing his grin grow wider.

"You the new girl?" the boy asked. It was an innocent enough question, but coming from him, she didn't like it.

"Yeah," responded Dani, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.

"I'm Tom."

"I'm Dani."

Tom nodded his head, thinking about something. Dani turned back around, deciding to ignore him. The second person she'd talked to at this new school and she was already freaked out. The majority of the class had filed in by now, another boy joining Tom, looking just as creepy. Still Dani sat alone.

The door swung open and in walked Taylor, every eye on her. Most averted their gaze quickly, going back to their conversations. Dani didn't. She bit her lip, wondering whether to ask her to sit with her, before deciding she probably had friends to sit with. Much to her surprise, Taylor met her eye and instantly walked over, plopping down in the seat beside her.

"Fuck off Jack," was the first thing she said. "I don't give a single fuck about what you have to say, so save it." The two people in front turned round. "What?" snapped Taylor, hardly containing her anger.

"Is it true you…you know?" asked the girl.

Taylor rolled her eyes then fake smiled. "Did you hear that from him?" she asked, pointing at Jack without turning round. The girl nodded. "No surprises there then. He loves to spread rumours. Here's a juicy bit of gossip for you, which is totally true. He has…" she gestured for them to lean forward, as she leaned forward herself. She dropped her voice. "He had sex with someone over the summer who lied about her age," she whispered, knowing Jack was desperately leaning in to listen. But Taylor knew he wouldn't be able to hear.

The girl leaned back from Taylor, gasping. Taylor slowly moved back herself, slowly nodding in malicious delight. "I can't believe that!"

Jack growled and yanked Taylor's hair back. "What did you say?"

"You'll see."

Jack looked ready to do more than accept this fact, but reluctantly let her hair go. Taylor glanced over at Dani, grinning smugly. Dani shrank back into the wall subconsciously, unsure who she should be more scared of in her corner. She could feel her heart beat faster than normal, partially from feeling scared, but partially from feeling a sense of adrenaline at sitting with such a group of people.

"Any reason why you chose to sit beside me?" asked Dani.

"You're sat at my table," replied Taylor. "This is my spot. It has been for the past year. And I've had these two sat behind me for the past year. You wouldn't believe how annoying it gets."

"Has everyone remained where they were last year?"

"No. Most have moved. But a few of us liked our original spot. The window area is a horrible spot in the winter. A must have spot in summer though. Beauty of dibbing it first."

"You have dibs over a spot?"

"Yep. Didn't you ever have that?"

Dani thought about it and realised she'd always had the exact same spot in her old school. Right at the front, so the teacher could always see her, and so no-one could distract her. It hit her then that she'd gone against her usual pattern, something which surprised her. She'd just automatically chosen the place, without really thinking. She didn't decide to relay the information to Taylor however, and turned her attention to the front of the classroom, waiting for the lesson to begin.

* * *

Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I've had coursework to deal with. I will try to update this story as often as I can, so please bear with me. Also, the famous fictional characters taken from the various fictional universes will appear in it, but it'll take a while to happen. I need to get this portion of the story done before any of those characters appear.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it.


	4. Chapter Three

After two gruelling hours of English, with Taylor sat beside her, Dani was more than relieved for break time. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy Taylor's company, she just didn't particularly like her behaviour. English always had been her favourite lesson, but it appeared hardly anyone else agreed with her view. Their teacher was good, but she wasn't strict enough to control the class, so hardly anything productive happened.

Dani rushed out the room before another word could be said, desperately yearning for a book to read, to escape into another world, where the fictional characters seemed more like her friends. It was with that thought alone that drove her to practically run to the library, which happened to be in the same building as English, but off to the side. She waited patiently to leave, but it was internally nagging at her.

The very instance her eyes fell upon the library, she felt herself light up. Her whole body filled with an electric excitement, pulsating through every bone in her body. She touched the door handle in anticipation and felt the doors fly open. She felt her heart sink slightly, but her hopes weren't dashed. Sure, the library seemed to have an odd odour about it, but it didn't seem nearly as ancient or crumbly as the rest of the school had been. It wasn't near ruins. Regardless of if it had been, so long as it provided books, Dani couldn't complain.

She entered the building and decided to stroll around the multiple shelves, ignoring the chatter and laughter of other students around her. It was a background noise. It wouldn't distract her. Not from finding a new book for her to pour herself into. She browsed the shelves of the teenage fiction and selected a particularly enticing book cover. She smiled as she read the blurb of Divergent, already liking it. She continued to smile as she located a lone corner she could read peacefully in.

As soon as she opened the first page and began to read, everything around her disappeared. Dani didn't hear the children running around, or the various idiotic conversations they were having. She didn't pay any attention to anyone looking at her, or who was even around her. The only thing she did pay attention to was when she heard the bell ring. Her head whipped up, only for her spirits to sink. She slowly got up and asked if she could borrow the book. The librarian allowed her to do so, and she left the library moderately happier. She had a book, her protection from her everyday life.

Dani went to the next lesson alone, debating whether resorting to old ways was such a good approach. She had a fresh start in her favour and instead, she'd rushed off to the library to retrieve a book. She hadn't even given anyone a chance to join her. She just preferred her own company. It was the way she was.

She walked to her next lesson alone, weaving easily in and out of the crowd. She arrived outside the classroom at the second bell, seeing her class also standing around. They all chatted to each other, but a few of them glanced at her. She thought maybe they'd approach her, talk to her, but none looked particularly eager to. Instead, she resigned to a wall nobody went near, and waited patiently for the teacher.

"Hey," spoke a familiar voice as she waited on the opposite wall from Dani.

"Hey," responded back Dani.

"So you left English pretty quickly. Where did you go?" asked Taylor.

"Oh. I went to the library."

Taylor quirked an eyebrow up. "The library?"

"Yes."

"Well since you can't eat lunch in the library, you should eat with us."

"I thought nobody took up your offer to be friends with you?"

"Ah, but I never gave you offer."

"Do you usually give anyone an offer?"

"No."

"So why should I accept an un-received offer?"

"Well now I'm offering you the offer. And because you don't seem like everyone else."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Yes."

Dani debated on whether she believed Taylor or not, before deciding she looked genuine enough. "Okay, I'll eat lunch with you. But as soon as I'm done, I'm going back to the library."

Taylor snorted. "If you say so."

The class waited maybe a minute or two more before their teacher arrived. She barely registered them all as she strode past and went straight into the classroom. The rest of the class slowly filed in after her. Dani shared a look with Taylor before following.

_This will be an interesting lesson_, she thought as she stared into the dismal classroom, locating a seat towards the back with Taylor.

* * *

Lunchtime came around, and not a moment too soon. The entire class leaped up in joy, racing to leave. Their teacher hardly acknowledged it, looking just as grateful that it was indeed lunchtime. A brief break for her. Taylor waited for a few seconds, until the majority of the students had left, before walking out, with Dani following. Usually, she'd have just pushed and shoved her way out, but she didn't want to try with Dani following her.

They quickly reached downstairs and Taylor strode over to the canteen, where everyone ate. Dani looked at all the various students and decided she was grateful not to be part of any particular friendship group. She only noticed one or two friendship groups which looked appealing, but even then, she looked gratefully at Taylor, who many seemed to cower away from. At least she wasn't the only one afraid of her. Rather than stopping, Taylor kept walking until she spotted two girls, stood towards the back, near another entrance.

"Hey," she greeted, double checking Dani was still with her.

The two girls exchanged a look. If Dani had felt scared with Taylor, she was terrified by these two girls. There was something menacing about them together. Alone, it seemed like you might have a chance of actually getting along with one of them. But together, they looked unapproachable. They could certainly cause trouble together.

Both girls had an equally natural tan, but that wasn't the first thing Dani noticed. She noted almost instantly that they were sixth formers, since they didn't wear the same uniform that everyone else was required to wear. That and the look the teachers gave the pair, as if they should be setting an example to the rest of the school. Their looks alone told Dani they preferred to rebel against that idea.

The girl on the right had light brown hair, juxtaposing Dani's hair in every possible way. Unlike Dani, the girl's hair was perfectly straight, and went past her shoulders easily, but remained at her breasts. She had a full fringe, but it was styled so it went across her right side more than in the middle. Her eyes were a striking green colour, made only more prominent by the mascara she had on. She wore dark blue denim jeans that hugged her hips and legs perfectly, teamed with black and white converses and a black leather jacket. Her t-shirt was completely different from the rest of her outfit. It was a simple black and white striped t-shirt, but it just didn't match the rest of her outfit. Maybe she liked being a misfit. Someone who couldn't be described as one particular stereotype.

The girl on the left had wavy blonde hair, just reaching her shoulders. She didn't have a fringe, but it suited her. Her hair framed her face. Her eyes were a piercing blue, made more piercing by her thick eyeliner. She wore black jeans, with a slight rip at the knee, also teamed with a black leather jacket, but she wore black combat boots. The type which made Dani want to not cross her bad side, for fear of her using them on her. Her top had a slogan on the front, which read 'take a mental picture'. It was so simple, yet effective.

"Who is this?" asked the girl on the right.

"This is Dani," introduced Taylor.

"I'm Alex," said the girl on the right.

"I'm Sam," said the girl on the left.

"Hello," said Dani, weirdly not feeling scared like the majority of the students.

"Lunch," said Taylor. The word triggered a thought in the pair of them, as they instantly stopped leaning against the wall and looked around.

"Where shall we eat? The dumpsters?" asked Sam. Taylor and Alex laughed. Clearly a joke Dani didn't understand. An inside joke.

"No, we don't want to scare off the new girl," replied Alex.

"Let's just eat in here," agreed Taylor.

"You mean, eat with the kids?" asked Sam, sounding mock terrified and mock disgusted simultaneously.

"You can live through one lunchtime," retorted Alex, nudging her slightly. It was her subtle way of telling her to stop.

All of them scanned the room before locating one spare table in the opposite side of the canteen to where they were, in the left corner. Sam and Taylor's eyes lit up in delight as they strode over there with a determination that would knock anybody's confidence. Alex hung back a bit to walk over with Dani, looking at anyone who stared. As soon as they reached the table, Sam and Alex sat on one side, with Taylor and Dani on the other side.

They all pulled out their respective lunches. Taylor's lunch was fairly healthy, as was Sam's. Dani's was a good mix. Alex's lunch was mainly unhealthy, but she barely registered that fact, taking a massive gulp from her bottle of Coke. Before any of them could speak a word, Alex emitted a loud burp, causing the girls on the table behind Dani and Taylor to look at her in disgust. Alex disregarded their opinion. They weren't worth her time.

"Dani was it?" inquired Sam, making sure she had the correct name.

"Yeah," replied Dani, quietly eating her lunch.

"What do you think of this shithole so far?" asked Sam.

Dani glanced at them all to realise that none of them seemed surprised by her choice of language. She guessed it was normal. "It's by far the worst place I've ever been in."

All three smiled at her, Alex and Sam exchanging a look. "What book did you end up getting out?" asked Taylor, taking a huge bite out of her sandwich.

"Divergent," answered Dani.

"Let me guess, you're one of those geeky people who could quote Harry Potter at me," teased Alex, with a hint of truthfulness to her words.

"Oh, I haven't read them." The name sounded so familiar to Dani, but she couldn't think why. It was as if she knew someone with that name, but that was impossible.

At that moment, Sam choked on her food in shock. The other two looked just as shocked at Dani's revelation, Taylor pausing eating and Alex's jaw falling open. Dani looked at them all, wondering why not reading Harry Potter emitted such a reaction. Was it such a bad thing she hadn't read it? From their reactions alone, it appeared like a crime.

"But you've at least watched the movies, right?!" asked Taylor.

Dani shook her head. "How can you live in Britain and not have acknowledged the awesomeness of Harry Potter?! I've at least seen the movies," replied Sam.

"Forget that book you're reading. Read Harry Potter," recommended Taylor. "And you should too Sam."

Alex burst into laughter. "Sam, read?! Don't make me laugh!"

"Hey!" protested Sam, nudging her in the ribs.

"What's so good about Harry Potter?" asked Dani, curious.

It felt like she was talking about a boy she knew, but instead, she was talking about a fictional series. It would be obvious she recognised the name from the book series, because it was all anyone talked about a certain time of the year. Yet, Dani couldn't shake her gut instinct that that was wrong.

"What is so-" spluttered Sam, barely able to contain her shock. "I am actually tempted not to be friends with you."

"Oh," said Dani, feeling like any hope she'd had of making friends had been dashed by one mistake. _It had been a cruel joke_, she thought miserably. "I'll just leave then."

"She's joking," said Alex as Taylor tugged her back down. "Words cannot describe how awesome Harry Potter is. Words cannot do justice to the life altering experience of Harry Potter."

Dani nodded. She wanted to say something to let them know she registered their recommendation, but no words would come. The name spun around in her brain like as if this boy had had an impact on her life, but not in the same way as everyone else. It was as if he had been her best friend in another life, but that couldn't be possible.

"Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?" inquired Taylor, pulling Dani away from her unsettling thoughts. She decided a change of topic would be a great idea, and Dani mentally thanked her for preventing her from thinking anymore.

"What do you want to know?" questioned back Dani.

It was a bad question to ask, as several were bombarded at her at once. She barely had time to eat her lunch in between questions because of how many were being asked. None of them seemed ready to let up either, causing Dani to wonder if she'd actually be able to finish her lunch before her next lesson. However, after a few minutes of an intense interrogation, Alex recognised Dani's desperate need to eat but her typical British politeness was preventing her from saying anything.

"Okay, I think that's enough questions for now," decided Alex. Dani smiled gratefully at her as she took a big bite. "Sam, why don't you tell her about last Friday?"

Sam groaned, but smiled all the same. She instantly launched into the story, not sparing a single detail, captivating Dani so much so that when she'd finished her lunch, she didn't think once about leaving for the library. Sure, she loved the company of her fictional worlds, but it wasn't nearly as great as having friends. She certainly considered them to be her friends.

Once Sam's anecdote had been done, Alex and Taylor had in turn told separate anecdotes, giving Dani an insight into her new friends. However, Taylor didn't get to finish her anecdote as the school bell rang, signalling the end of the lunch. The four looked at each other, sighing in disappointment.

"Double maths, oh the joys!" said Taylor, voice filled with sarcasm.

"Luckily we're done for the day," said Sam.

"Have fun in maths," said Alex, barely containing a snort.

"How much work do you have to do?" reminded Taylor, forcing Alex's smug look to vanish.

"At least we have less time in the shithole," retorted Sam, earning a high five from Alex.

Taylor rolled her eyes, muttering a 'whatever' as she walked beside Dani. Alex and Sam said a cheery goodbye, to which both Taylor and Dani replied half-heartedly. It was a matter of seconds before Taylor asked the question which had been bugging her since they'd been alone. That's all she'd managed: a few short seconds.

"So…" she started, trying to appear casual. Dani glanced over at her. "What did you think of my friends?"

Dani debated on the answer, but the smile on her face was very telling. "I like them. Why do you value my opinion?"

Taylor shrugged. "Because you're my friend."

With that, Dani felt her spirits positively soar. She had gained a friend within a few short hours of school. Sure, it seemed as unrealistic as if someone had professed their love for her, but she couldn't care less. A friend was a friend, regardless of who they said they were. Maybe she'd learn things about Taylor that would change her mind, maybe she wouldn't. But no matter what happened, she had made a friend. It didn't matter if she never spoke to Taylor again in a week's time, because she had been her first real friend.

They walked into maths together. Dani felt far more confident than she had when she'd entered the school that morning. To think of how scared she'd appeared, particularly of Taylor, appeared so ridiculous right now. It was unsettling to see everyone else glance at the pair though. Nobody appeared to like Taylor, which made Dani wonder if the same would happen with her. But for once, she couldn't care less.

With a grin set firmly upon her face, and Taylor beside her, she could barely contain herself. She knew maths would suck, but it wouldn't suck nearly as badly now, because she had a friend. A breathing human friend.

That was more than enough for Dani.


	5. Chapter Four

The bell rang for the last time that day, much to everyone's relief. They all jumped up once more, like they did at the end of every lesson, and rushed to the door. The teacher hardly looked surprised, shaking his head at their behaviour. Taylor ensured she waited for Dani, who smiled expectantly at her. The pair left together into the chaos of the crowd, all heading towards the doorway to lead them to their freedom.

"So…how far away do you live?" asked Taylor.

"Oh, only 15 minutes. What about you?"

"I live half an hour away. Which direction?"

"Left."

"Damn. I'm right."

"Well…I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely. I'm almost certain I'm in every single one of your lessons."

"It almost seems planned."

"I promise you, it wasn't. It would've been plain awkward if we hadn't been friends."

"Definitely. Goodbye."

"Bye."

The pair parted ways as they attempted to walk up the steps, with a crowd of slow moving students preventing them from doing so. Once they did part ways, Dani plugged herself back into her music, happily bobbing along. The people around her managed to turn into mindless people surrounding her, all continuing their usual level of chatter and laughter. It didn't irk Dani though. Not with her iPod on and her earphones in, to make the world around her disappear.

She arrived home relatively quickly. She located her keys and let herself in, embracing the comfort of their new home. Sure, she hadn't been there long, but it had felt more like home than any of her previous homes. She kicked off her shoes and dumped her bag onto the floor. She gently removed her earphones from her ears and paused her iPod.

"How was school?" called her mum as she entered the hallway, dressed in her casual clothes.

"It was good, for once."

"Did you make friends?"

"Yes."

Her mum looked at her in shock for a few seconds before grinning widely and embracing her into a hug. "That's brilliant news!"

"We're staying, right?"

Her mum bit her lip. "Hopefully. But you know how I am."

Dani sighed. "But I've made friends!"

"We'll see." There was a moment's pause. "What was your first day like?"

"You already asked me that."

"Well I'm asking again. What did you learn?"

"Stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Yes, stuff. Now, can I please go to my room?"

"Sure," said her mum, sighing softly at her.

Dani thanked her before jogging lightly upstairs, grabbing her school bag along the way. She entered her bedroom and plopped down onto her computer chair. She turned on her laptop on her relatively organised desk, ignoring the last box or two that needed to be unpacked still. As she waited, she decided to glance at the homework she should do, but she couldn't convince herself to start yet.

As soon as she could get onto the internet, she logged onto Facebook to find several friend requests. She instantly accepted Taylor, Sam and Alex, before looking through the several other friend requests. She hadn't talked to anyone asides from Taylor, yet people still wanted to add her. She assumed it was out of curiosity as to what she was like, or to add to their friend count to seem more popular.

Within a few minutes of adding them, a group chat was started. Dani was shocked, but was instantly grateful. She opened the conversation, happy she was part of a group conversation for once.

**Sam Bush**

yo new girl. how's life?

**Alex Browing**

Sam, how many times do I have to tell you about punctuation?

**Sam Bush**

nobody gives a shit about punctuation on facebook

**Taylor Lawson**

Alex, it's a pointless conversation. You know she won't stop

**Danielle McCord**

Hey friends. :o I've never had friends before. Life is good since you last asked

**Alex Browning**

Tay, I will be successful one day

Good. How was maths? Boring?

**Sam Bush**

never! glad to hear it Dani

**Taylor Lawson**

We need to give her a nickname!

**Danielle McCord**

Ooh yeah! Nicknames sound great!

**Sam Bush**

u can b new girl

**Alex Browning**

Your using text language now? And how original

*You're

**Taylor Lawson**

We're all animals, so she needs to be one

**Danielle McCord**

Animals? What animals are you?

**Sam Bush**

im the fox

**Alex Browning**

I'm the fox. You're the snake

**Sam Bush**

oh yeah!

**Taylor Lawson**

I'm the wolf

**Danielle McCord**

Can I be the lion?

**Alex Browning**

Lion? Why lion?

**Danielle McCord**

It's my favourite animal

**Sam Bush**

think u need to prove urself 1st

**Danielle McCord**

How?

**Alex Browning**

We should do a bravery test

**Taylor Lawson**

No, their more like leaders than bravery

**Sam Bush**

leaders? how long have lions been leaders?

**Taylor Lawson**

Since always!

Dani grinned as her three friends argued over the origins of a lion. It was agreed that Dani could have the nickname of lion if she proved herself. She didn't mind. If anything, she was excited to finally be able to prove herself. It was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. It was decided she'd do something in the next half an hour. It only prompted Dani to wonder what they could possibly plan in half an hour.

* * *

Half an hour later, Dani was waiting for them all by the entrance to their local park. It was medium sized park, with hardly anyone around at this time of the evening. The park had a decent child's playground, a beautiful flower section and a lousy skate park, which had been threatened to be knocked down on one too many occasions. The teenagers always protested and they always won.

Dani had explored near the trees, where a metal railing prevented anyone from leaving the park, as it led onto an active train track. That's all she'd had time to explore in a few hours. But she had plenty more time to continue to explore.

As she waited, she decided to look at the plagues near the memorial section. There were dates and names with the soldiers who had fought in World War I and World War II, with a statement about their bravery. Dani found it endearing that they acknowledged the deaths of the soldiers and that they had an entire section dedicated to them. It showed respect.

Alex and Sam were the first to arrive, grinning as they bounded over. Taylor arrived a few minutes later. Dani found it odd that she'd been the first one there, considering it was their plan they were putting into action.

"You ready?" questioned Alex.

"Yeah," replied Dani.

"Let's go then," said Sam.

They led Dani over to the skate park, where a group hung around in a corner, with shifty glances settling on them. Dani felt slightly uneasy, but she ignored it as she stood proudly beside Alex, Sam and Taylor. It never entered her mind why they were there as she just accepted the fact.

Taylor was silently elected by Alex and Sam to approach the group of teenage boys as the trio stood a distance away. They all watched her with caution, gripping tighter onto their bikes. Taylor spoke to them and they eased up considerably. Taylor pointed over to the trio and the boys followed her finger. They nodded their heads before Taylor nodded and walked back to the trio.

"Do you know how to ride a bike?" asked Taylor.

"Yeah?" said Dani, wondering where this was going.

"Brilliant!" said Taylor, a wild glint in her eyes.

"You're going to ride a bike over a body on the small slope," instructed Sam.

"Then, you're going to be the body on the small slope, whilst someone rides over you," continued Alex.

"Oh," said Dani, feeling her spirit sink. She couldn't let this opportunity go though, so she faked a smile. The three girls all observed her reaction, to see whether she'd go ahead with it or not. If she didn't, she wasn't as brave as they'd anticipated. "Let's do it!" She was terrified, but the adrenaline prevented her entire body from shaking too violently.

The three girls looked impressed. They all walked over to the group, where a bike was waiting for Dani on the slope. It wasn't that high up, so she climbed up, with the aid of the boy, who held out his hand. The slope had a steep curve to it, with a smaller single slope at the bottom, with a little curve to it. The smaller slope was made to be jumped over, so they could do fancy tricks in the air, but sometimes, people paused or stopped on it.

Dani got onto the bike as the boy let it go. It was small as she felt her feet touch the floor and her knees bend easily. There was no fear of her not being able to put her feet down at any point. She sat down on the seat with one foot on the pedal, the other resting on the floor. Dani looked at the boy laying down on the smaller slope, suddenly feeling extremely nervous. If she hurt him, it'd be her fault. She looked at the group and the other three girls, feeling them cheer her on. She should've felt more reassured, but she couldn't stop the daunting fear.

The slope was high enough that if you jumped off it, you could land in a crouch or you could injure yourself slightly. But if you fell off on a bike, she realised you could injure yourself seriously. But she refused to allow her fear to take over. Her stomach knotted painfully, her heart thumping louder and almost out of time, her palm sweating against the handlebar.

"No helmet," added Sam.

Dani gulped, trying to forget they were all there. _A truly brave person wouldn't bother with a helmet_, she thought to reassure herself. She took a few deep breaths before she put her other foot on the pedal and pushed.

As she raced down the slope, she felt the voices blur out and be replaced by the rushing wind. The adrenaline entering her body was unlike anything she'd ever felt before, as her heart skipped a beat or two and the butterflies in her body became like a gentle fly. Her hands clutched the handlebars so hard, she was certain her knuckles were extremely white. They were her safety net.

As her bike went over the small slope, she felt herself take a sharp intake of breath, before feeling like she was flying for the briefest of seconds. Her entire body felt weightless and any doubt or worry she'd had flew out of her brain. She felt free. When the tires hit the ground again, she sighed in relief and grinned, despite feeling her whole body vibrate and jerk back into place.

She skidded to a stop before carefully getting off the bike. It clattered to the floor, but the boy didn't appear to mind. She felt her body go back to normal, her entire body numb from the feeling. She couldn't stop grinning as the other girls approached, looking impressed and happy for her.

"Now for you to be the body," said Alex.

Dani had almost forgotten about that. The thought had left her mind in the air. She was still recovering so she didn't really care about being the body. She nodded absentmindedly, until she walked over to it. Her stomach plummeted, her heart thumping hard again. She felt herself walking over to the small slope, but she couldn't remember laying down. She remembered looking at the boy on the bike, looking far more menacing than he actually was.

As she lay there, she tried to calm herself down. She glanced directly up ahead, noticing the cloudless evening sky. It was changing from a blue colour to a dark blue. As her body began to calm back down, she waited for the person to come. Her hands curled into fists, her entire body tense. The waiting was always the worst part. She was grateful when she heard the bike move and a few seconds later, she felt the gush of wind chill her slightly before the bike obscured her view of the sky. A few seconds later, she heard the tires squeak to a stop. Then, and only then, did Dani lift up her head and sighed in relief.

"Okay, you're officially the lion," concluded Alex.

"Congrats!" said Taylor, enthusiastically.

Dani grinned in delight, receiving equally enthusiastic comments from the group of boys. Sam offered Dani her hand. She accepted, being pulled up. She was officially brave, and she had proven it. Sure, the task itself had seen so mundane and reckless to others, but to her, it was a test of bravery. She couldn't say how many other people would do the same as she had. She couldn't say how many people would willingly lay down on a slope as a bike rode over you.

"Can I do the first task again? That was fun!" said Dani.

The three girls smiled at her. "Go for it," said Taylor, walking with her to the bike. Dani got on the bike and did it again and again, until every person had been rode over. The sense of adrenaline she received couldn't possibly compare to anything else she'd ever do, which she knew was a big statement to make. But her life wasn't interesting. The most exciting thing she did was move every couple of years, and even that was tiring her.

"Woo!" said Dani after she'd rode over the last person.

"Your life is certainly exciting," said Taylor, laughing.

"Can we do something else?" Dani asked, the adrenaline so high that she just felt like sprinting for a few miles.

"No, I think you need to go home," said Alex.

"What? Why?" Dani's face fell. She was finally having fun.

"Because you don't want to do too much in one day," said Sam.

"No, you should do lots in one day!" retorted Dani.

"Dani, you have plenty of time to do fun things," said Taylor.

"Yeah. If you do everything today, you won't have anything left to do," agreed Alex.

"Where do you live?" inquired Sam.

"Oh, I can get home by myself," said Dani.

"I can give you a lift," said Sam.

"Honestly, I'll be fine," replied Dani.

Dani began to walk away. "Tough. We're walking you home," retorted Taylor.

Dani sighed. She didn't bother to respond, instead allowing all three of them to walk beside her. The silence lasted a few seconds before one of them spoke, as if the silence was an extremely bad thing and they had to break it. "How does it feel to be the lion?" asked Sam.

"Good," replied Dani, a smile spreading across her face.

"You earned it girl," said Alex.

"To right she did!" Taylor said, ruffling Dani's hair slightly.

"Well lion, I think now might be another great time for bombarding you with questions," said Sam.

"If anything, I should be asking you questions," retorted Dani. "You've already asked me a few."

"Alright. Whatever we ask you, we'll answer back," decided Taylor.

"What? No!" protested Sam.

"Tough," agreed Alex. "So long as we don't ask too personal questions, it'll be fine."

"How about your favourite artist or artists and your favourite band or bands?" Taylor inquired.

"My favourite band is One Direction," said Dani.

"I have officially lost any respect for you. If you dare say Justin Bieber, I will take back your lion status," stated Sam.

"You can't do that," pointed out Alex. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Actually, I was going to say Ed Sheeran and Katy Perry," answered Dani.

"Decent choices," decided Sam.

"Well my favourite band is The Cab," interjected Taylor. "My favourite singer is also Ed Sheeran, but I prefer Adele to Katy Perry. Sam, you like Katy Perry?"

"She's not _that_ bad. My favourite band is AC/DC, the Rolling Stones or Queen. I don't have a favourite singer."

"I agree with your choice, only I'm going to add Bon Jovi," answered Alex, gesturing to Sam.

"Well…this is home," announced Dani as they arrived to her street.

"That was quick!" exclaimed Taylor in surprise.

"I told you I didn't need anyone to walk me home," said Dani.

Her house was an average sized semi-detached house. It was made out of perfectly stacked bricks formed together and a tiled roof. She had bay windows and her door was set into the side, with her house number clearly on the gate into her back garden. The exterior didn't do justice to the interior, but the girls wouldn't know that.

"Nice place," commented Alex.

"Thanks. Er…I'll see you tomorrow?" Dani inquired, hoping this wasn't all some cruel joke.

"Of course. How could I lose my buddy who happens to be in all my lessons?" teased Taylor.

"Well goodbye friends," ventured Dani, testing their reactions.

"Goodbye lion," answered Sam, grinning cheekily.

"Goodbye Dani," answered Alex, also grinning cheekily.

"Goodbye buddy," answered Taylor.

Dani watched them all disappear down her mini pathway and waited until they had rounded the corner before she opened her front door. She heard a snippet of the playful debate they started, grateful for finally finding friends. She felt her face move into a content grin, letting herself in to the warmth of their house.

Never had she felt like she'd belonged more than she had tonight. She answered any of her mum's questions before bouncing upstairs and squealing in delight. She'd finally done it. She'd made friends.

* * *

I have a fair amount of intertextual references in this one.

Some of the surnames have meaning behind them, some don't. One of the surnames is from someone I know personally, one is related to music in someway, one sounded cool if you say the name out loud and one was taken from a brand.

With the animals, three out of four of them have a reference attached to them. Two of them are pretty obvious and the other should become clear later. A sneaky bit of foreshadowing.

With the music references, the pop music is taken from my own personal taste of bands and artists I love/like. The rock music, with the exception of Queen (which is another from my personal music taste), was taken from the Winchesters/Supernatural.

As always, I hope you enjoy it.


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